Fluid pressure servo operated valve



April 12, 1966 "r. J. BRENNAN FLUID PRESSURE SERVO OPERATED VALVE Filed June 22, 1962 INVENTOR. flaw: 13767271471 United States Patent 3,245,650 FLUID PRESSURE SERVO OPERATED VALVE Thomas J. Brennan, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Titan Corporation Michigan Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,507 2 Claims. (Cl. 25145) My invention relates to the flush tanks of toilets and, in particular, to a flush valve mechanism for controlling the inlet flow of water to refill the flush tank.

It is the general purpose of my invention to provide a simplified and compact new flush valve mechanism which may be substituted for the conventional ball-float operated valve mechanism and which will not be subject to its various well known disadvantages.

The invention accomplishes the foregoing and various other objects by means of an arrangement in which a flexible membrane is used to control the flow of refill water into the flush tank. This membrane is subject at all times on one side to both atmospheric and to line pressure of the inlet water and on the other side to a pressure which may be either line pressure or atmospheric pressure. When the latter side is subject to atmospheric pressure the valve is open to permit inlet water to flow into the flush tank and when it is subject to line pressure the valve is closed. The rate of pressure build-up from atmospheric to water line pressure controls the amount of water admitted to the tank for refill purposes.

The invention is shown in preferred form in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic, perspective view, partly broken away, of a toilet assembly having a flush tank in which the flush valve of the present invention is utilized;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section through the flush valve mechanism of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring first to the details of the valve mechanism 1, it will be seen in FIG. 2 that it comprises a cover 3 and a base plate 5. The cover 3 is secured in a fluid tight manner by means of a collar and gasket assembly 7 to the base plate 5, the collar 7 being threaded on the base plate.

The base plate, which may be of molded non-metallic material, such as the plastic Delrin, has the outer side wall 9 to which the collar 7 is threaded and a pair of concentric inside walls 11 and 13. The space between the walls 11 and 13 comprises an inlet chamber 15 while the space within the wall 13 comprises an outlet chamber 17. As seen in FIG. 2, the outlet chamber 17 has a bottom wall .19 and a collar 21 for attachment to the vertical outlet tube 23. An orifice 25 may be formed in wall 19 to control the rate of flow trom the outlet chamber 17 into the outlet pipe 23.

Water enters the inlet chamber 15 from a passage 27 in the base plate and this in turn is connected to one end of a T 29, the other side of the T being coupled through a tank spud and gasket arrangement 31 to the water line 33 which is a part of the plumbing in .the building in which the toilet is to be mounted. Pressure from the line 3-3 is present at all times in the inlet chamber 15.

Control of flow between the inlet chamber 15 and the outlet chamber 17 of the base 5 is performed by a flexible membrane or diaphragm 35 which may be formed of a suitable flexible material such as the rubber l'ike material known as Neoprene. The outer circumference of the diaphragm 35 is tightly secured to wall 11 by means of a retaining ring or collar 37 that is threaded on the wall 11. It is obvious that when the pressure on the bottom of the diaphragm exceeds the pressure on the top the diaphragm 35 will lift from its seat on the top surface 39 of the inner wall '13 and permit flow directly underneath it over the "ice top of the wall 13 from the inlet chamber 15 to the outlet chamber 17. The space beneath the diaphragm -35 may be regarded as a passage connecting the inlet and outlet chambers 15 and 17, such passage having a flexible Wall. When the diaphragm is down, as in FIG. 2, the center of the bottom side is subject to atmospheric pressure and the outer portion to line pressure.

The top face of the diaphragm 35 is subjected to the pressure within the chamber 41 as defined by the brass cover *3 and plate 5. When the diaphragm 35 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, this top face pressure is the pressure in line 33. However, when the diaphragm 35 is raised from seat 39 the pressure in chamber 41 will be less than line pressure.

Line pressure from the water line 33 reaches the chamber 41 by passing out of the T connection 29 through a check valve 43 of any suitable construction and into a copper tube 45 which is connected at its other end into a right angle needle valve assembly 47. The outlet of the needle valve 49 fits inside of a boss 51 that is molded in the base plate 5 so that water leaving the outlet 49 will enter the passage 53 inside of boss 51 and thus flow intothe chamber 41, as can be seen best in FIG. 3. The needle valve may be manually adjusted through the screw '55 to control the rate of pressure build-up in the chamber 41. The check valve 43 will maintain pressure in the chamber 41. a

The pressure in chamber 41 is under the control of relief valve 61 which has a seat on the top of a boss 63 extending upwardly from base 5 into the chamber 41. The valve 61 can slide up and down in passage 64 inside of the boss 63 and at its bottom end has a slot 65 through which a control arm 67 extends, one end of the arm being pivoted at 6 9 to a bracket 71 attached to the bottom of the base 5. The other end of the arm 67 is attached at 73 through suitable linkage to the flush actuating handle 75 on the outside of the flush tank, as seen in FIG. 1. When the valve 61 is lifted by upward movement of the arm 67, water inside of the chamber 41 can escape through the relief passage 64 to the inside of the flush tank 77 and drop the pressure in chamber 41 to atmospheric. This unbalances diaphragm so that line pressure in inlet chamber 15 will lift it permitting water to flow into the outlet chamber 17 and outlet pipe 23.

In FIG. 1, the valve 1 is shown in an installed position wherein the toilet bowl 79 has the flush tank 77 suitably associated therewith. The water from the inside of the flush tank 77 can flow into the toilet bowl 79 through an outlet 81 that is under the control of the conventional vertically moving plunger valve 83 that is lifted when the handle 75 is depressed. The usual vertical overflow pipe 8-5 may be associated with the outlet valve mechanism 81.

Inlet Water to refill the tank 77 comes from the plumbing 87 which is attached to the line pressure inlet pipe 33 that is connected through the T 29 to the flush valve 1. The outlet from the valve mechanism 1 flows into the tank through the pipe '23. The flush handle 75 acts through suitable linkage to move the relief valve arm 67, all as seen in FIG. 1.

As previously indicated, the adjustment of the needle valve 47 will determine the rate at which pressure builds up in the chamber 41 and thus the length of time required before the pressure in chamber 41 will be sufficient to hold the diaphragm 37 on the seat 39 and cut off the flow into the tank. The orifice 25 in the outlet chamber 17 will also aliect the rate at which water can flow into the tank. Adjustment of the valve 47 through thumb screw 55 will adjust the amount of water drawn into the flush tank 77 before the flush mechanism automatically operates to cut off additional flow. It will be noted that the diaphragm valve 37 is opened, closed, and held in closed position by the line pressure in the water line 33 so that variations in line pressure will be automatically equalized and offset.

The check valve 43 provides a positive anti-syphoning feature so that the valve 1 may be placed in any desired vertical position, even at the bottom of tank 77. It may be omitted, however, if the valve 1- is mounted high enough, as in FIG. 1, to be above the level of water in the toilet.

The size of orifice 25 is selected to give a wier effect and build up back pressure in chamber 17 to maintain a relatively slow, laminar flow across the seat 39 until the very last instant of closing when the area over the seat is reduced to. practically zero. By properly select ing the size of orifice 25 in this wayflutter of the diaphragm, and consequent noise, can be eliminated.

It is to be noted especially that the present valve 1 is controlled by line pressure and not by water level as are conventional ball float valves used in tank toilets. As a consequence, the present valve measures and delivers only a predetermined amount of water (usually a tankfull or about six gallons) and positively prevents leakage of any more than the one tankfull of water should the tank ball 83 be improperly seated. This feature provides a tremendous water saving over conventional toilet float valves which are controlled by the water level in tank 77 and therefore permit the water to run continuously if there is leakage.

Modifications may be made in the structure illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A valve for the flush tanks of toilets or the like comprising a base plate, a dome attached to said base plate and providing a relatively large, pressure control chamber, said base plate having a first annular wall projecting into said control chamber, said base plate having a second annular wall located inside of the first wall and projecting into said control chamber, a flexible diaphragm attached to the first wall and sealing off the said diaphragm being arranged to. seat on the secondv wall and seal off the space inside the second wall from the space between the first and second walls, said diaphragm being subject on one side to the pressure in said control chamber and on the other side to the pressures of the space inside the first Wall, first means for connecting the space between the first and second walls to an inlet water supply line, second means for connecting the space inside the second wall to a space receiving water from the valve, conduit means including a needle valve means to adjust the rate of flow for connecting the first means to the control chamber, a relief valve for said control chamber mounted in said base plate and adapted when open to connect said control chamber to a space outside the valve, said relief valve being manually operated, when said relief valve is open the pressure of fluid in the first means acting to lift the diaphragm from its seat on the second wall to connect the first means to the second means.

2. The. invention set forth in claim 1 including. an orifice in the space inside the second wall to. control, flow into the second means and build up back pressure in said space inside the second wall to provide for smooth, silent seating of. the diaphragm on the second wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES. PATENTS 12/ 1952 Australia.

ISADOR WEIL, Primary Examiner.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, WILLIAM F. OZDEA,

Examiners. 

1. A VALVE FOR THE FLUSH TANKS OF TOILETS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A BASE PLATE, A DOME ATTACHED TO SAID BASE PLATE AND PROVIDING A RELATIVELY LARGE PRESSURE CONTROL CHAMBER, SAID BASE PLATE HAVING A FIRST ANNULAR WALL PROJECTING INTO SAID CONTROL CHAMBER, SAID BASE PLATE HAVING A SECOND ANNULAR WALL LOCATED INSIDE OF THE FIRST WALL AND PROJECTING INTO SAID CONTROL CHAMBER, A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM ATTACHED TO THE FIRST WALL AND SEALING OFF THE SPACE INSIDE THE FIRST WALL FROM SAID CONTROL CHAMBER, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING ARRANGED TO SEAT ON THE SECOND WALL AND SEAL OFF THE SPACE INSIDE THE SECOND WALL FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WALLS, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEING SUBJECT ON ONE SIDE TO THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONTROL CHAMBER AND ON THE OTHER SIDE TO THE PRESSURES OF THE SPACE INSIDE THE FIRST WALL, FIRST MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WALLS TO AN INLET WATER SUPPLY LINE, SECOND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE SPACE INSIDE THE SECOND WALL TO A SPACE RECEIVING WATER FROM THE VALVE, CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING A NEEDLE VALVE MEANS TO ADJUST THE RATE OF FLOW FOR CONNECTING THE FIRST MEANS TO THE CONTROL CHAMBER, A RELIEF VALVE FOR SAID CONTROL CHAMBER MOUNTED IN SAID BASE PLATE AND ADAPTED WHEN OPEN TO CONNECT SAID CONTROL CHAMBER TO A SPACE OUTSIDE THE VALVE, SAID RELIEF VALVE BEING MANUALLY OPERATED, WHEN SAID RELIEF VALVE IS OPEN THE PRESSURE OF FLUID IN THE FIRST MEANS ACTING TO LIFT THE DIAPHRAGM FROM ITS SEAT ON THE SECOND WALL TO CONNECT THE FIRST MEANS TO THE SECOND MEANS. 